1
as in played
to engage in activity for amusement
he spent his college years dallying, seemingly determined to acquire as little knowledge as possible
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lingered
to move or act slowly
don't dally on the way to the interview
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flirted
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dawdled
to spend time doing nothing
I kept dallying at my desk until I couldn't put off doing my work any longer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dallied
Verb
-
Arthur would have looked very different had another actor played him, according to the filmmaker.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
12 Apr. 2026 -
Suffice it to say that eventually the tale of childhood catches up with the adult Sasha (played by Amy Zimmer), a filmmaker, who attempts to make sense of her past and Jeremy’s fate by undertaking her own investigation, at several decades’ remove.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Charli’s quote has lingered in my head ever since listening to Jessie Ware’s dead-on-arrival sixth record, Superbloom.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Elements of western also lingered.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Not that the Beatles hadn’t flirted with the bad‑boy image.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The two starters matched zeros through four innings and both flirted with no-hitters.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.—
Thomas Black,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.—
Dan Kois,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Nevertheless, he's repeatedly toyed openly about the idea of running again in 2028.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
-
According to Wolpe, Billie toyed around with the placement of their bush on the terracotta planter in the shape of a woman in a sports bra and ponytail.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
-
The trial had been set to start this week but was delayed until next February.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The hearings have been delayed by litigation, though, including over who should prosecute the cases going forward.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nearby, people and their dogs who had moved into the shelter for the duration of the war lounged on air mattresses, scrolling through their phones.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Just days after hard-launching her relationship with French filmmaker Romain Gavras, EmRata lounged in a plunging plush white robe while wearing nothing but some sparkling loud luxury accessories.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The officer grabbed me and said 'you're arrested,' and just put me in handcuffs and drug and dragged me out.—
Mahsa Saeidi,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Baker, still by himself, grabbed Rivera’s bulletproof vest and dragged her to the first-floor lobby, where he was met by other responding Chicago Police Department officers.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Dallied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dallied. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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